Supplemental and Alternative Digital Data Delivery and Receipt Mesh Network Realized Through the Placement of Enhanced Transformer Mounted Monitoring Devices

1. An apparatus comprising: a communication node comprising a signal processing module configured to: monitor a transformer configured to distribute electric energy to a plurality of buildings in a grid; communicate wirelessly with a plurality of electric meters associated with the plurality of buildings via a first, wireless utility mesh network, of which the apparatus is a part, comprising the apparatus and the plurality of electric meters, wherein the apparatus receives metering data from the plurality of electric meters via the wireless utility mesh network; receive a request for digital content by a communications device coupled to the apparatus in a second wireless digital content delivery mesh network, of which the apparatus is also a part; determine corresponding signaling containing information about the digital content requested by the communications device and transmit said corresponding signaling containing information about the digital content requested to a central location for further processing, based upon the request received; receive signaling containing information about collected data, including some combination of electrical signaling data related to electrical signaling being processed by the transformer located and arranged in the wireless utility mesh network and to which the apparatus is mounted, the metering data, and other wireless network data related to other wireless network communication devices or nodes deployed in the wireless utility mesh network; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about the collected data and transmit said corresponding signaling containing information about the collected data to the central location to perform one or more utility analyses, at least in part based on the collected data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing module is further configured to provide the corresponding signaling containing information about the digital content requested back to the central location for further processing.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the signal processing module is further configured to receive associated signaling containing information about the digital content requested back from the central location; and determine digital content signaling containing information about the digital content requested for providing to the communications device, based upon the associated signaling received.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the signal processing module is further configured to provide the digital content signaling to the communications device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communications device includes one or more of a residential home or commercial structure wireless router, a digital set-top box.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the signal processing module is further configured to: provide the corresponding signaling containing information about the digital content requested to the central location via wireless signaling; and provide the corresponding signaling containing information about the collected data to the central location via wireless signaling.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communications device comprises a communications chip set configured to communicate with the apparatus, including allowing for both capture and communications of digital information both to and from a plurality of smart assets and a communication node having the signal processing module.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless digital content delivery mesh network is an expansion of the wireless utility mesh network and the wireless digital content delivery mesh network further comprises the plurality of electric meters.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the communications device comprises a communications chip set having a corresponding signal processing module configured to communicate with the apparatus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the corresponding signal processing module is further configured to provide the request containing information about the digital content requested.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the corresponding signal processing module is further configured to receive user-generated signaling containing information about the digital content requested by a user, and determine the signaling for providing to the apparatus, based upon the user-generated signaling received.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the corresponding signal processing module is further configured to receive the digital content signaling containing information about the digital content requested by a set-top box user; and determine set-top box signaling to play the digital content for the set-top box user.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the corresponding signal processing module is further configured to receive the digital content signaling containing information about the digital content requested by a user of a residential home or commercial structure automation device; and determine automation signaling to adapt the residential home or commercial structure automation device so as to automate the residential home or commercial structure for the user.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless utility mesh network and the wireless digital content delivery mesh network are configured to communicate using a wireless communications protocol, including a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN).

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the wireless communications protocols are, or take the form of, IEEE 802.11.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the corresponding signaling contains information about other wireless network signaling received from, or provided by, one or more of a back-end cellular network, optical network, fiber optic network, satellite network, or another network.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the digital content includes one or more of movies, songs, photographs, advertising media, social media exchanges, internet searching requests, internet searching downloads, digital imagery, web page renderings, streaming media, on-line gaming, voice over internet, video over internet, and email communications.

18. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the residential home or commercial structure automation device is configured to exchange cellular signaling with one or more of a back-end cellular network, optical network, fiber optic network, satellite network or another network.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the other wireless network data includes the digital content request received from the communications device.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the digital content includes an exchange of information amongst various interconnected or non-interconnected devices that form part of the wireless digital content delivery mesh network.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the digital content contains information about applications and/or processes related to industry, energy, transportation, healthcare, consumer products, social media, entertainment, transportation, banking, on-line commerce, industrial automation, or gaming.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the central location comprises a server that forms part of an Internet service provider network.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communications device includes one or more of a smart phone, a smart tablet, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, a smart wearable device.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing module comprises a transceiver, transmitter and antenna configured to communicate with the plurality of electric meters, the communications device and the central location, and a signal processor.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more utility analyses comprise one or more of conservation analyses, load curtailment, a delivery subtraction analysis, utility asset monitoring, distribution asset utilization, energy audits, load control and geographic localization.

26. A system comprising: an apparatus configured to monitor performance of a transformer configured to distribute electric energy to a plurality of buildings in a grid; a plurality of electric meters associated with the plurality of buildings configured to monitor electricity usage at the plurality of buildings; a plurality of communications devices configured to request and receive digital content; a wireless utility mesh network comprising the apparatus and the plurality of electric meters configured to exchange information about electricity usage in the grid; a wireless digital content delivery mesh network comprising the apparatus and the plurality of communications devices, wherein the plurality of communications devices are configured to transmit requests for digital content to the apparatus and the apparatus is configured to transmit digital content to the plurality of communications devices through the wireless digital content delivery mesh network; and a central location; wherein the apparatus is further configured to: determine corresponding signaling containing information about the digital content requested by one of the plurality of communications devices and transmit said corresponding signaling containing information about the digital content requested to the central location for further processing, based upon the request received; receive signaling containing information about collected data, including some combination of electrical signaling data related to electrical signaling being processed by the transformer located and arranged in the wireless utility mesh network and to which the apparatus is mounted, the metering data, and other wireless network data related to other wireless network communication devices or nodes deployed in the wireless utility mesh network; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about the collected data and transmit said corresponding signaling containing information about the collected data to the central location to perform one or more utility analyses, at least in part based on the collected data.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the wireless digital content delivery mesh network is an expansion of the wireless utility mesh network and the wireless digital content delivery mesh network further comprises the plurality of electric meters.

28. The system of claim 26 , wherein the wireless utility mesh network and the wireless digital content delivery mesh network are configured to communicate using the IEEE 802.11 wireless communications protocols.

29. The system of claim 26 , wherein the plurality of communications devices comprises at least one digital set-top box.

30. The system of claim 26 , wherein the requested and received digital content includes one or more of movies, songs, photographs, advertising media, social media exchanges, internet searching requests, internet searching downloads, digital imagery, web page renderings, streaming media, on-line gaming, voice over internet, video over internet, and email communications.

31. The system of claim 27 , wherein the wireless digital content delivery mesh network comprises the plurality of electric meters and the plurality of communications devices as communication nodes in the wireless digital content delivery mesh network which are configured to exchange signaling received from the apparatus between themselves in the wireless digital content delivery mesh network and configured to exchange signaling directed towards the apparatus between themselves in the wireless digital content delivery mesh network.